Support Your Local Green Events
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There are many green events around the US helping to spread the word about sustainability. They come in all forms; from music festivals and green home & garden shows to eco summits and organic festivals. And as each event passes the hope is that more consumers are exposed to the importance of living in a sustainable manner, for themselves, the environment and their communities.
A large part of living sustainably is buying locally. The |
result of buying locally is a more sustainable community with local businesses that are owned by local people who are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future. And studies have shown that when you buy from locally owned business, rather than a nationally organization, significantly more of your money is used to support other local businesses which continues to strengthen the economic base of the community.
In Northwest Earth Institute's Choices for Sustainable Living, Tim Mitchell states that, “A dollar spent at a locally owned store is usually spent 6 to 15 times before it leaves the community.” That means that when you spend a dollar at your local coffee shop, you create $5 to $14 in value within that community. Mitchell further states, “Spend $1 at a national chain store, and 80% leaves town immediately.”
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So what does this mean for green events? Simple…are they locally produced - keeping the money in the community and strengthening the economy, or is much of the revenue leaving the area? And in the production of the event, do they support local service providers or is that money leaving as well? In Oregon we have several locally produced events that are benefiting the community in which they are held. The Good Earth Show is one such example. Held in Eugene, Oregon each year, this event is local down to its core. And better yet, Berg Productions offers this show free to the public.
Here are a couple of questions to ask your favorite green event producers:
- Where is your corporate headquarters? It’s great to hire some locally people, but if the organization is not in the state, the money leaves when the lights are turned off.
- Are all of your service contractors local – decorator, electrical, advertising agency, public relations firm, web designer etc.?
In all of these cases, there are service providers that are local and can do the job. So the final question for them is, ‘Why do you choose to do business in another state and take the money out of our community?’ If you do not get a positive answer, take your money down to the local pub for a pint, and support your local business owner. |
